Irish Firefighter Hub
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Resources

Health, Safety & Wellbeing

Firefighting places exceptional demands on the body and mind, and the risks don't end when the fire is out.

Repeated exposure to smoke, diesel exhaust, and contaminated gear has been linked to significantly higher rates of certain cancers among Firefighters, while the physical strain of the job contributes to heart disease, musculoskeletal injuries, and hearing loss. The psychological toll is just as real. Exposure to traumatic incidents increases the risk of PTSD, anxiety, and burnout, often compounded by disrupted sleep from shift work and night callouts. These are occupational hazards, not personal failings, and they underline why Firefighters deserve clear access to their entitlements, health supports, and the agreements negotiated on their behalf.

Two Firefighters in breathing apparatus sitting down to recover after a training exercise, one removing his face mask
Recovering after breathing apparatus training at the Clonmel Fire Training Facility. Photo:Óglaigh na hÉireann,CC BY 2.0, cropped.
Cancer Awareness

Clean gear is protective equipment

Firefighters face elevated cancer risk from smoke, soot and contaminated PPE. Decontamination habits, screening and early detection save lives.

The evidence is settled: in 2022 the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified occupational exposure as a Firefighter as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), its highest classification. Clean gear, clean cab and post incident decontamination are not optional extras. They are protective equipment.

Read the IARC announcement →
Safety

Reducing exposure: clean kit, clean cab

Much of the exposure happens after the fire is out, through dirty kit, skin contact and the cab on the way back. Simple habits, done every time, cut that exposure.

At the incident

  • Keep breathing apparatus on until the job is finished, including during overhaul.
  • Do a gross decontamination of kit on scene where possible.
  • Bag fire exposed kit in sealed bags or boxes and keep it out of the cab.

Back at the station

  • Shower as soon as possible, ideally within an hour of returning.
  • Wash your hands and face before eating or drinking.
  • Handle dirty kit with disposable gloves and clean it regularly.
  • Check kit for wear and tear, and report damage.

Going home

  • Shower and change before you drive home so you don’t bring contaminants into your car.
  • Wipe down items you carry, like phones and keys.
  • Wash any fire exposed clothing separately.

Based on theDECON campaign by the Fire Brigades Union and the University of Central Lancashire. Always follow your own fire authority’s procedures.

Wellbeing

Looking after your mental health

Firefighters see things most people never will. Feeling the effects of a difficult call is a normal reaction, not a weakness.

Stress can build up quietly over years of callouts, shift work, broken sleep and family pressures and, for retained crews, balancing being on call with a main job. Signs to watch for in yourself and your crew include trouble sleeping, irritability, pulling away from people, drinking more, or replaying an incident again and again.

Where to get support

  • Talk to someone you trust, such as a crew member, your officer or your family. Checking in on each other after a hard call matters.
  • Critical incident support and peer support. Ask your officer about the critical incident stress management (CISM) or peer support arrangements in your fire authority.
  • Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Local authorities generally offer free, confidential counselling to staff. Your HR department can tell you how to access it.
  • Your GP can help with ongoing stress, sleep problems, anxiety or low mood.
  • Your union rep, if work issues are affecting your health. SeeUnion Reps.
Have your say

Do you have views or concerns about carcinogenic contamination, mental health and wellbeing, or PPE in the Irish Fire Service?

  • Carcinogenic contamination
  • Mental health & wellbeing
  • PPE

The Irish Firefighter Hub wants to bring Firefighters together to support national standards on these issues.

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